Former UConn star Swin Cash is one of four people who will receive honorary degrees from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa. on Saturday.

Cash, a native of McKeesport, Pa., will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.

Here is the release from the college:

WASHINGTON, PA (May 19, 2011)—Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) will honor four prominent women who have made life-long commitments to science, community service, history, and human rights at its annual Commencement ceremony May 21, bringing to a close a school year that has celebrated 40 years of coeducation at the College.
A professional basketball player, entrepreneur and philanthropist, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, native Swintayla “Swin” Cash will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.
“This degree recognizes all of Swin’s accomplishments, but most importantly her philanthropy. At W&J, we take seriously our commitment to community. Our graduates need to see successful people, like Swin, who have done what they desire to do – become leaders in their fields -- but we honor those who go the extra mile by leading with integrity.”
Cash began her professional athletic career when she was selected by the Detroit Shock as the second overall pick in the 2002 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. Cash led the Shock to their first WNBA Championship title, played in the 2003 WNBA All-Star Game, and won a gold medal with the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 2004 Olympic Games. In the off-season, she plays basketball on professional teams overseas and provides color commentary as the first active WNBA player to serve as a television sports analyst for ESPN and NBC.
In 2008, Cash was traded to the Seattle Storm, leading them to their second championship and making her only the second player in WNBA history to start for both the Eastern and Western Conference teams. One of only six women to have won an NCAA championship, a WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal, Cash also took home a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 FIBA Championship.
Cash donates proceeds from the sale of her clothing line to her charity, Cash for Kids, which provides financial support to youth agencies and schools. An international ambassador for UNICEF, Cash was recognized with the WNBA’s Community Assist Award for her extensive community outreach efforts.
Among numerous other awards and honors, Cash received the Senator John Heinz Annual History Maker’s Award and the Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year Award. She also was admitted to the Western Pennsylvania Athletic Association Hall of Fame and was honored by the Women and Girl’s Foundation.
Cash is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she played basketball for one of the best college programs in any sport, winning two national championships. Named a first team All-American by Kodak/WBCA and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, president of Merck Vaccines and first female director of the Centers for Disease Control will be the keynote speaker and receive an honorary degree. Other honorary degree recipients will be Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, number one on the New York Times Best Seller List for 31 weeks; and Annette Gordon-Reed; Pulitzer prize-winning author and legal scholar and historian whose investigation into the life of Thomas Jefferson dramatically changed the course of Jeffersonian scholarship.
Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. EST in the courtyard in front of the campus’ Olin Fine Arts Center on Wheeling Street. Approximately 354 students are expected to graduate.
“W&J is honored to recognize the accomplishments of these great women, to give our graduates the opportunity to hear from Dr. Gerberding, who has made such an unquestionable impact in her field,” said W&J President Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D.